The present invention relates generally to photographic equipment and more particularly to a system for stabilizing a mobile camera relative to its main support means, in this example a cameraman's body, while at the same time permitting the cameraman to manipulate and maneuver the camera with dexterity. Hand held cameras, both movie cameras and still cameras, are subject to undesirable motion from the body of a cameraman which results in unacceptable images. It is, therefore, desirable to stabilize the camera position, reduce to a minimum the transfer of body motion to the camera, and to permit the camera to be under stabilized control by the cameraman under both stationary and mobile conditions.
Prior proposed stabilizing devices for photographic camera equipment or other like devices have included various types of apparatus carried by the cameraman to facilitate stabilizing control of the camera.
However, generally speaking, prior art hand controlled and stabilized camera mounting apparatus, while vastly improving stabilization of the camera and isolating the camera from unwanted motions of the cameraman's body, still include problems of precise control of the camera position relative to the cameraman's body without imposing undue stress or strain on the cameraman. One of the problems confronting cameramen using prior art systems is that they still require an excessive amount of body movement and orientation to capture the desired image. While it is feasible for the cameraman to orient his body to obtain a desired image, to do so for extended periods while shooting movie images becomes an excessive strain on the cameraman's body. In short, presently known stabilization systems do not give the cameraman sufficient flexibility and control over the camera to allow twisting and rotation about multiple axes simultaneously.
Thus there is a need in the art to solve these problems by making camera support and stabilization systems more flexible and giving a greater range of camera orientations. The present invention addresses these and other problems.